Regarding the configuration of a conventional disk drive, a magnetic disk drive will be described as an example.
Recently, due to the market expansion of portable information equipment such as personal computers and the miniaturization of devices, it is now necessary for a magnetic disk drive as a leading storage means to satisfy the requirements such as high portability, that is, being smaller, thinner, and excellent in impact(shock) resistance.
Conventionally, as a loading system for a head support unit in a magnetic disk drive using a flying type magnetic head, a system called contact start/stop system (hereinafter referred to as CSS) has been employed. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of a conventional magnetic disk drive based on the CSS system.
In CSS type magnetic disk drive 130 shown in FIG. 8, during operation, that is, while magnetic recording medium 101 is rotated by spindle motor 102, because of the flying force of slider 103 having a magnetic head (not shown) due to the air flow then generated and the activating force of suspension 114 mounted on head support unit 113 which moves the slider 103 to the magnetic recording medium 101, the magnetic head mounted on the slider 103 obtains a specific amount of flying hight against the magnetic recording medium 101 while executing the recording or reproducing(reading) operation.
Also, when stopping the magnetic recording medium 101, with the rotating speed of the magnetic recording medium 101 lowered, the air flow weakens and the flying force decreases, and finally, the slider 103 comes into contact with the magnetic recording medium 101 and then stops.
Further, in many of conventional CSS type magnetic disk drive units, there is provided CSS area 111 as an area in which the magnetic head takes shelter within an area other than the effective recording area on the magnetic recording medium 101.
However, in conventional CSS type magnetic disk drive 130, when stopped, the magnetic head or slider 103 is attracted to the magnetic recording medium 101, and in order to eliminate the attraction(stiction), it is necessary to properly increase the starting torque of the spindle motor 102 which drives the magnetic recording medium 101, making it hard to reduce the size of the magnetic disk drive. Further, there has been a problem such that if the magnetic head or slider 103 attracted to the magnetic recording medium 101 is forcibly removed by the rotation of the spindle motor 102, the magnetic recording layer formed on the surface of the magnetic recording medium 101 will be mechanically or magnetically damaged.
In order to solve these problems, various technologies have been proposed in the past.
For example, in a magnetic disk drive as shown in FIG. 8, one of the proposals is that when the slider 103 provided with a magnetic head is within the CSS area 111, projection 113a is disposed at the other end opposite to one end thereof where the slider 103 of head support unit 113 is disposed, and the projection 113a is pressed by lock means 106 against stopper pin 107 in order to hold the head support unit 113 (e.g. Japanese Laid-open Patent H11-259999).
However, in a magnetic disk drive which holds the head support unit by electrically controlling the lock means as described above, it is necessary to additionally provide a control device for controlling the lock means. Further, a member such as a stopper pin is newly required, causing great hindrance to the miniaturization of a magnetic disk drive.
Furthermore, a load/unload system (hereinafter referred to as L/UL system) is widely employed as an example of loading system that is different from the CSS system. Also in the L/UL type magnetic disk drive, a configuration of holding a support arm by using magnetic action is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent H11-96699, and a configuration of having a fitting means such as a stopper pin as described above is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent 2000-30385. In these disk drive units, same as in the CSS system, it is necessary to newly dispose a member such as a magnet or stopper pin in the casing, causing great hindrance to the miniaturization of the magnetic disk drive.
Further, in a conventional disk drive, a highly flexible suspension is disposed at the end of its head support unit. Also, at its support arm, the center of gravity is positioned at one end where the slider is located. Due to such configuration, while the slider provided with a magnetic head is stopping on the magnetic recording medium, when impact or vibration from outside is applied to the magnetic disk drive, in the case of a conventional magnetic disk drive, there has been a problem such that the slider provided with a magnetic head moves just like jumping on the magnetic recording medium, causing the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic recording medium surface to be damaged. However, the problem has not been solved even by the configuration of holding the other end of the support arm by using a stopper pin or magnet as is in the conventional CSS type and L/UL type magnetic disk drive units described above.